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Westward Expansion Thesis

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Throughout the 19th century European settlers in the United States were enthralled by Westward expansion, furthermore, defining the Western region of the country as the ‘frontier’ to represent the challenges and opportunities expanding West would institute. Westward expansion was significantly driven by the concept of Manifest destiny which describes the idea that Europeans have the divine power and inherent right to expand across North America (Burton, January 17th, 2023). Westward expansion was legally encouraged and endorsed by the federal government through the Homestead act of 1862. The Homestead Act encouraged Westward migration/ settlement by offering land grants to settlers from the East willing to migrate to the West to develop the land. …show more content…

This Act brought about substantial waves of migration, including over two hundred seventy million acres of land granted to over four million settlers (Burton, January 17th, 2023). In 1890 the US Census Bureau declared the frontier closed, ending the manifest destiny, in addition to this the Homestead Act was repealed in 1972. Manifest destiny alongside the Homestead Act will be the precursor and catalyst to the large extent of violent conflict and nation wars emerging between European settlers and Native Americans over the right to land and resources. The closure of the Western frontier in 1890 marked the end of an era of Westward expansion in the United States, and continues to have profound implications for American society, particularly for Black Americans, Indigenous peoples, and immigrants, whose lives were impacted by the legacies of colonialism through the loss of opportunity and the rise of social tensions fueled by Social Darwinism and

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857 Words | 4 Pages

America’s urgency and continuous interest to expand Westward helped drive the idea of “Manifest Destiny” within the budding nation. Within the early 1800s Americans believed that it was right and justified to expand west and claim the unorganized area to the west. Manifest Destiny helped to drive the young and evolving nation of America by creating changes within its political system, its societal ideologies, and its ever-expanding economy. In the late 1700s to early 1800s politics was mainly influenced by the realm of the wealthier, upper class; politicians would attempt to grab the attention and endorsement of men who owned large amounts of land and money.

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1119 Words | 5 Pages

Traveling thousands of miles through dangerous paths American pioneers took on hardships as they sought westward in hopes of a better life. The journey westward began in the early 1800s when the US exploded with new territories nearly tripling the United States' size. It all started in 1803 when the US bought the Louisiana Territory from France. Quickly, many farmers picked up their belongings and headed out west to the rich, fertile land for a fresh start. Next, Andrew Jackson invaded Florida claiming it for the US which was also another opportunity for settlers to begin a new life.

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752 Words | 4 Pages

The westward expansion is a movement of settlers promoted by the federal government that pushed west to get things that benefit them. Such as gold, land, financial reasons, and religious freedom. During this time, America was going through Indian removal acts, economic issues and so much more. The westward expansion occurred due to gold and cheaper land resulting in Native Americans being forced off their own land. To begin, One of the reasons for the westward expansion was gold.

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499 Words | 2 Pages

Manifest Destiny was the belief in the 19th century that the United States was destined to expand westward, from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific coast, in order to spread American values and institutions. This belief was used to justify the forced removal of Native American tribes from their ancestral lands, as well as the annexation of Texas, the Mexican-American War, and the Oregon Treaty. One of the main arguments given by supporters of Manifest Destiny was that it was a God-given mission for the United States to expand westward and bring Christianity and "civilization" to the "savages" who lived in the western territories. Manifest Destiny provided a religious and cultural justification for American expansion across the continental United States, with the belief that the destiny of the United States was to spread democratic institutions "from sea to shining

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287 Words | 2 Pages

From 1817-1825, immigrants and native New Yorkers alike worked year round by hand and with the help of animals to complete the canal, which finally opened in October 26, 1825. Early on, horses and mules worked the canal system taking turns with boats in long shifts carrying cargo with towlines. At the beginning, the canal could accommodate thirty tons of freight. Travel on the canal to Buffalo from Albany took about five days. When traveled by stage coach, the route took about two weeks.

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893 Words | 4 Pages

Jackson DBQ - Westward Expansion The treatment of Indigenous peoples even before Andrew Jackson’s presidency was always terrible. Since the arrival of Europeans in the Americas, Indigenous peoples who occupied the lands were constantly being killed, forced off their land, and involuntarily assimilated into white culture. This unfair treatment of Indigenous peoples got significantly worse after Jackson became president. When Congress passed the Indian Removal Act in 1830, it allowed Jackson to relocate any “Indians” living east of the Mississippi River to other parts of America. More than 46,000 Indigenous persons were moved because of the Indian Removal Act.

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831 Words | 4 Pages

Westward expansion will forever be a reminder of the horrors Native Americans endured for the sake of the country that never treated them justly to begin with. Likewise, one can see in document 5 the population of buffalo from 1800-1889, how it decreased drastically after the beginning of westward expansion. This elucidates that not only were Native Americans dealt with unjustly, but so were that which they held dear were dealt unjustly too. An important part of Native American culture revolved around the animals they would take care of, use for resources, and be apart of their daily lives. However, when westward expansion took place, Native Americans were not considered for, nor what

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784 Words | 4 Pages

The people who settled the west were greatly dependent on the US government and the policies they adopted. The settling of the west in the late 19th century was similar to the settlement of the south in the 1830’s. Andrew Jackson drove out the indians so that the valuable land of the south could be secured by white settlers. Once again, the federal government made it possible to settle the west by forcing indians off of their lands. A recurring theme in American history is manifest destiny and the attempt to develop unsettled lands by the federal government.

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701 Words | 3 Pages

Would you move Westward? The Westward Expansion is when several of people moved West for the gold rush. Not many people become rich! Many people do go though! I would stay and not move Westward because it’s difficult and might die/get injured, I might not find gold, and it’s a long journey!

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999 Words | 4 Pages

The closure of the Frontier was motivated by American Manifest Destiny, which was an American idea that America’s destiny was to expand and bring American ideals to new lands. American Manifest Destiny provided the main motivation behind the settlement of the Frontier, as Americans and their government saw the Frontier as an uncivilized, mysterious land that had the potential to be settled by the rising population present in the Eastern United States. The American Federal Government advertised and urged potential settlers to journey West and occupy the land. In addition to the advertisement, legislation passed in 1862, named the Homestead Acts offered distributions of land to applicants that committed to living on the land for a substantial amount of time. As a result, more settlers poured into the area resulting in more communities being constructed in the American Frontier, furthermore, with the construction of railroads in the 1820s-1860s connecting East to, previously, remote areas in the West, travel

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1039 Words | 5 Pages

Westward Expansion Flash Draft Have you ever wondered about what would 've happened if the westward expansion never occurred? We wouldn 't have many things you know today and America would be a lot smaller. The westward expansion happened during the 1800s and helped shape the modern America. The westward expansion started with the Louisiana Purchase and was made even stronger by the Gold Rush. Many people came to strike it rich or just to start a new life out west.

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703 Words | 3 Pages

The Westward Expansion all started when America made the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. There were many benefits from the purchase for the US that the French didn’t realize before they sold it. The purchase gave the US access to the Mississippi river which allowed for expansion of river trade to the North and South from the center of the US. The port city of New Orleans was bought by the US and its prosperity benefited the US greatly. The US sent Lewis and Clark west to investigate the land they purchased.

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2291 Words | 10 Pages

The birth of Westward expansion and Manifest Destiny in the United States can be traced back to the early 19th century when the country was still in its infancy. Manifest destiny is the belief that it was America’s mission to expand from coast to coast, and to spread its political, social, and economic systems to new lands. This belief evolved into the driving force behind westward expansion, and the American government adapted many policies and actions to make it a reality (Policarpo). One of the most significant events that marked the beginning of westward expansion was the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. The idea that it was the destiny of the American people to expand and conquer new lands was viewed as a divine mission, and it became a popular rallying cry for politicians, intellectuals, and common citizens alike.

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2016 Words | 9 Pages

“Once we became an independent people it was as much a law of nature that this [control of all of North America] should become our pretension as that the Mississippi should flow to the sea” –John Quincy Adams (Henretta, p. 384). In the 1840s, Americans had a belief that God destined for them to expand their territory all the way westward to the Pacific Ocean. This idea was called Manifest Destiny. In the nineteenth century, Americans were recognized for coming together and building up one another for one cause: westward expansion.

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719 Words | 3 Pages

For some, it was destiny to move west. Although there were many conflicts and disagreements between ourselves and others, it was destiny to move west because of overpopulation, new inventions of transportation methods, and new opportunities. In the 19th Century, overpopulation was one of the major reasons for Westward Expansion. Immigrants were flooding into America for new opportunities and new ways of life and there was just not enough land to suffice the needs for all of the people. These immigrants were arriving in America in the port cities on the East Coast.

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